Neil Ackerman, GB'06
By his account Neil Ackerman, GB’06, works with the world’s brightest minds—he is an Amazonian. Working at Amazon’s headquarters in Seattle, Wash., he focuses on long-term strategic business initiatives that grow both the company and its sellers’ businesses.
“I have an opportunity to make a direct impact and drive change at internet speed,” Ackerman said. “The most rewarding aspect of my career is working with great people. With a team of diverse, smart, hardworking and driven people, who also want to have fun, almost anything is possible.”
Before accepting a position with Amazon, Ackerman spent 14 years with Altria in a variety of roles. For the last five years he worked with a business process and technology innovation group, a team of people that focused on innovative ways to connect with consumers and retailers. While there, he decided to pursue his MBA, saying, “I wanted to be part of a challenging classroom environment that would allow me to grow my managerial and leadership skills. The Richmond MBA was perfect. The professors always challenge the status quo and strive to grow the abilities of their students. My education at Richmond created the perfect foundation for me to further grow my professional aspirations.”
Ackerman said he has many fond memories of his time at Richmond. “My favorite series of courses focused on economics,” he said. “Truly understanding how behavioral economics works was a key learning that I use every day. The discussions that took place in class among my peers and professors helped me more than any textbook.”
Having now spent eight months at Amazon, and with five patents pending, Ackerman looks forward to continuously expanding his knowledge of the ever-changing consumer market and his role in it. He is currently in a senior level role within the business development and strategic planning division of the organization with a primary responsibility to develop one to three year plans for business growth with his team. “We evaluate different aspects of the business and decide where to go next, whether it be a country or market. Our job is to start with the customer and work backwards to create programs and businesses that in the end will always benefit our customers,” he said.
“I learned a lot about customer service while at Richmond. No other school treats its students with the utmost respect and patience as Richmond does. The faculty and staff are completely committed to students’ success and education and I value my relationship with Richmond greatly.”
Of his current success, Ackerman said the most important thing to remember is to “break down barriers to ensure you move fast and create the next big invention for generations to come. Everyone goes through career ups and downs. The greatest challenge for me has been managing uncharted waters. It’s a bit like white water rafting with a lot of adrenaline running through you.”